My niece has reached driving age, and honestly, it’s so exciting. Weirdly, perhaps the most surprising part is that she’s into it; a lot of today’s teens don’t really care about driving and don’t really want to get good at it, either. Thankfully, both her dad and her aunt (me) are car fanatics. This means the poor kid is bombarded with advice.
I feel like I have four favorite tips that I like to give to new drivers, regardless of age.
My first, and perhaps my favorite bit of advice, is to look farther than your vehicle’s hood. It sounds silly, but a lot of folks don’t really look ahead and only look at what’s going on directly in front of their bumper. This is risky because conditions can change ahead of your vehicle, and you want to be aware of your surroundings so you can react to them. An overloaded truck that might spill an end table onto the highway, a bicyclist who might swerve unexpectedly, an Altima that might suddenly Altima … the sooner you spot these things, the more time you have to anticipate what might happen, and the more prepared you’ll be to react.
With that in mind, I think it’s also important to have an escape plan. By this, I mean you should scan your surroundings for hazards and places to go if conditions go downhill. Is there sufficient room to change lanes? Is the shoulder safe to enter if needed? A good driver is always ready to X when Y happens, if it happens.
My last two pieces of advice are tied together. I’ve noticed some self-taught drivers develop bad habits, primarily inconsistent speed (instead of holding, say, 50mph, they accelerate to 50, let off the gas and drift down to 40mph, then surge back to 50, and repeat) and braking with their left foot. The latter makes it easy to accidentally confuse the pedals and cause an accident, and the former wastes fuel and may give passengers seasickness.
[Ed note: I once had a ride home in a Town Car from a driver who was not only unable to maintain speed as Mercedes describes, but he couldn’t hold a line, either; he constantly drifted out of lane and corrected, and on/off ramps were navigated by tugging the wheel to direct the car away from the outside barrier, letting the car get close to it again, and re-tugging. Instead of maintaining a constant radius, an off-ramp might be twenty straight-line facets, with the Town Car wallowing like a rowboat the entire time. I have never been so nauseous in my life. – Pete]
Admittedly, my lovely wife pumped her gas pedal a lot when I met her. I remembered myself feeling sick and not knowing why. Then, I saw that the engine revs were constantly going up and down – the car had a CVT – and then looked at the gas pedal. Then, we watched a marathon of Canada’s Worst Driver (an episode is embedded above), and, amazingly, it made a night-and-day difference. Honestly, if you’ve never seen Canada’s Worst Driver before, I highly recommend it. The show is great edu-tainment.
Those are just the pieces of advice at the top of my head. How about you? What would you teach a new driver?
Top graphic image: DepositPhotos.com
I’d tell her, yes, they really are all trying to kill you. Don’t let them.
Turn your phone off every time you get behind the wheel, you do not need the added distraction. And slow down, you may have a license, but you don’t actually have any idea what you are doing yet. Get some REAL driver training, not the driver’s license training, that actually teaches something about car control in emergencies. I paid for my nephew to do the BMWCCA “Street Survival” day course when he got his license, though he was no longer a teen at the time.
I honestly don’t know how I survived my first year or so behind the wheel.I did at least two idiotic things that should have resulted in SERIOUS crashes and got away with it by the skin of my teeth and dumb luck. Thankfully my nephew is a lot calmer behind the wheel than I was, and he was five years older so a lot more mature.
“Turn your phone off every time you get behind the wheel, you do not need the added distraction.”
Solid +1 on that.
Don’t mess with “probably”. It’s probably clear, there’s probably nobody coming around that corner, there’s probably not a deer over that blind hill, all of that’s probably true, but if you take a 1 in 1000 risk 1000 times, there’s a 63% chance you’ll lose that bet. You’ll be driving for a long time, don’t get used to leaving it up to chance.
Also, if it’s snowy/icy, lock up your brakes (or activate ABS) before you leave your street to calibrate your foot to how much grip you have now. It’s the easiest way to intuitively feel grip conditions. Also, if you’re learning how to drive, at least once slam on the brakes (on a quiet road, deserted parking lot, autocross environment) so you can feel how much grip you have. Chances are, it’s either a lot more or a lot less than you thought. Knowing your limits helps you ensure that you can stay within them.
I’m pretty sure there was an MST3K short with a similar message.
Interesting advice. I am experiencing my first snow as an otherwise experienced and safe driver, with no training, and I instinctively do exactly what you suggested when there’s snow on the ground.
If you can find an empty street with fresh snow and no cars parked on the sides, or maybe an empty parking lot, also play with finding the limits of what speed vs steering angle you car can handle. Push things just beyond the point where you still have traction (assuming it’s safe for people and property – look out for mail boxes!) and pay attention to whether the car understreers or oversteers.
ABS is great, but it’s also important to know how the car handles when turning and you lose traction. My wife thought I was nuts to teach the kids to drive like this, but they both later said it helped them avoid accidents.
We all still do little refresher courses on this every winter, too. It’s amazing how tire wear or a new set of tires can affect the car’s handling.
Thanks!
Where I live (and maybe most places in the US) it’s typical cars to go faster than the posted speed limit–maybe 5-10 mph faster. For a young driver it can be hard to know how much over the speed limit is okay, so I told my kids to just make sure not to be quickest. It’s important to drive with traffic, but don’t stick out.
PUT THE PHONE DOWN!!!
The thing that worked for my niece and I advise where appropriate is chores involving a riding mower. Really helps drivers Ed if you already have 5+ years of learning to handle precision in corners and a fuckup results in hitting a tree at walking pace.
Simple tip my dad taught me when I was learning: on the highway, if you are going to change lanes ahead of another car, you are far enough ahead when you can see both headlights in your center mirror.
My daughter will be getting her license in the coming year. So I’m going to be giving her lots of advice.
As for the actual advice I’m going to give, it will include:
And that’s off the top of my head. And I have separate sets of advice for parking in the city, handling city traffic that has street cars, what to look for in drivers who are about to do something stupid, etc.
Wildly comprehensive and correct. I would add- driving isn’t just watching the car in front of you. It’s watching several cars ahead for brake lights. Watching your blind spots. Watching cars behind you. Generally having a 360 degree view of everything around you and planning further ahead than what the car in front of you is doing.
So, none of this is wrong, but 2% of it has a chance of being absorbed if it all comes at once. Much of it really only makes complete sense if you’ve amassed some serious time behind the wheel. Be sure to ration it out so it has a chance to get made permanent practice.
I feel the same way. Keep the rules simple so they can safely learn their own.
“Keep the rules simple so they can safely learn their own.”
Based on what I’ve seen, a lot of people WON’T learn these things on their own… such as when to use high beams.
I see so many people using high beams at inappropriate times… causing glare for other drivers and being blissfully unaware about it.
One time, I saw a guy driving without his lights on. I happened to be stopped next to him at a red light. Rolled down my window and told him to turn on his lights.
Then I watched him fuck around with his controls, turned on his windshield wipers, probably turned on a few other things that were NOT his lights and then proceeded to keep driving WITHOUT his lights on.
Same deal when it comes to parallel parking. Case-in-point… My GF, who is a suburbanite, does not know how to parallel park in a city driving situation in spite of having had her license for well over a decade.
Even super basic shit like doing a walk around and visually checking tires before driving is something a lot of drivers are clueless about given that I’ve lost count the number of times I’ve seen people driving on tires low on air and sometimes nearly flat.
So I have very little confidence that the typical person will “safely learn on their own”.
“. So, none of this is wrong, but 2% of it has a chance of being absorbed if it all comes at once “
It won’t be dumped on her all at once. I’d explain these as the driving practice goes. I’d initially start with numbers 1-6 since those are pre-driving checks.
Pretend you’re riding a motorcycle and you’re not surrounded by any safety equipment. Don’t lose your cool when another driver makes a mistake. Nine times out of ten that’s all it is, a mistake. Felony fist shaking won’t help.
Good tips.
Based on well over 50 years of driving, here is my take on the first bit of your advice.
Learn how to react when the shit does hit the fan.
Practice seeing how to recover from a skid, both in rain and snow, and ice.
Learn how your ride reacts to panic stops, etc., before stuff happens.
Back in 1973 our drivers ed teacher at school required us to toss a Ford LTD into a huge parking lot covered in black ice and 4-6 inches of snow, entering at about 35 mph. Then toss the car 90% sideways in a skid, then how to recover it from same.
I remember this especially cause it saved me and 4 friends after my Dad’s LTD wagon spun in a canyon on ice. We did 3 complete 360’s but somehow did not go over the side into the river 50 feet below.
In traffic or on the highways look at the cars that may be several cars ahead of you, watch the brake lights for possible hazards, or someone doing something dumb in front of them.
This has saved my butt many times.
Drive like your life depends on your skills and knowledge.
I tend to see driving these days as like being in a real life demolition derby.
Everyone is out to get you.
Excellent advice. I have 56 years behind a wheel. Had only 3 minor bumper benders in all those years not including dent incidents with non-moving objects.
Threat assessment. Like a video game, you need to be always assessing threats. Is that car at the intersection or driveway fully stopped or rolling foward? Is there a car heading to the intersection moving faster than they should to make a full stop? Is the person in the car next to you on their phone?
Look for threats. If one car isn’t a threat, ignore it, look for another. Same for other physical things. Deep puddles, loose stuff being carried on a truck or roof rack, all can be threats.
This mindset made all the difference to one of our kids.
Look as far ahead as you can to see what is -going- to happen, in addition to what is happening -now-. I see so many folks reacting late to what I saw was going to happen.
I installed small spot mirrors on all our cars. It helps to see -if- there is something in the blind spot, which means you have to look at the regular mirror or turning the head around.
The on ramp is for accelerating to highway speeds. Do not travel to the end of the ramp at 35, merge and then accelerate to 65 or whatever. Get up to speed so when you merge, you’re already going the same speed and don’t need to accelerate and no one else needs to take evasive action to avoid you.
When on a freeway, keep an eye on the cars at least a couple ahead of the one you’re following. If you can’t see at least two cars ahead, then increase your following distance accordingly.
If you’re getting ready to change lanes, be aware that someone two lanes over from you, in your blind spot, may well be heading into the same area you are heading into. Be ready to adjust accordingly and have room to do so.
At least in our town, when you’re at a light and it turns green, wait for the car that just barely made the yellow, the one that just barely missed the yellow, and the one that completely ran the red light to go through the intersection before you start going.
My mom taught me to always be aware of what car is behind you. If you’re about to change lanes, check your main mirror, and the car you see isn’t the one you expect, that car may be in your blind spot. It’s a good reminder of general awareness especially for people who forget to check their blind spots.
We preached that wait before pulling out off on a green a lot to our kids. Years ago, my wife was hit by the 3rd person to run the light. She caught the first two.
It’s gotten worse lately now that traffic enforcement has all but been abandoned, unless they are wanting to do a ‘taillight out’ type stop.
I’d say to make sure your emotions are always in check. And don’t drive in a hurry, which is not the same as driving fast.
My advice to my granddaughter, who recently turned 16, has been is to get decent insurance company accredited driver training and I’d pay for it.
I taught my daughter to profile cars and plates. Along with anticipation and to be patient. Letting a terrible driver in is better then getting rammed by them. My niece just started driving this year and I guess my daughter imparted at least some that to her because she was ranting about Altimas and certain wrong coast plates the other day. This new thing they are doing while someone is backing up is very troubling it happened to me a few months ago and I was able to slam on the brakes but now I’m seeing videos of it happening. I told my daughter about it but it’s not something you can really control someone coming out of nowhere basically trying to split the gap between you and where you are going instead of sitting there for the 2 to 3 seconds it takes. Seems like a wrong coast thing as well.
> This new thing they are doing while someone is backing up
What’s that?
They will drive right behind you while backing up often from a stop like they are playing some kind of video game. Its incredibly stupid and I don’t understand it.
What
A few things I taught my kids that are easy and soon become second nature:
In motion, use the 2-second following rule. Just count “one thousand one, one thousand two” when the car ahead of you passes a landmark like a street sign or road marking. This gives you time to react to sudden stops or when the car in front unexpectedly swerves around a dropped ladder on the freeway.
When stopped and waiting to make a left turn in traffic, keep your wheels pointing straight ahead until you’re starting your turn. If someone rear ends your car before you turn, wheels turned left will cause your car to travel directly into oncoming traffic.
Adjust your side mirrors to avoid blind spots. Search online for “Car Talk Avoiding the Blind Spot”. It’s easy and so important. If you can see the side of your car in either side mirror while driving, you’re doing it wrong.
If you’re the first car at a red 4-way traffic light, count to two when the light turns green before you accelerate. The first time a red light runner crosses your path at full speed you’ll understand why.
Similar to one already mentioned I say look at the rear bumper of the car in front of the car in front of you through the glass. You see brake light or turn signal you are forewarned
Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast. Anticipate what the drivers around you are going to do and act accordingly.
To my younger self: YOU ARE NOT DALE EARNHART – in fact, you suck at driving and you don’t even realize it.
More generally: Driving is a skill, and skills take time, practice, and continual learning to develop. You can be a great driver – but start out by realizing you’re not.
“YOU ARE NOT DALE EARNHART”
BUT I COULD BE!! DID YOU SEE THAT SICK BURNOUT I JUST DID? JUST LIKE DALE EARNHART!!!
“Nothing is more important than your life and the lives of your passengers.”
Implied:
phone calls are not important;
whatever is on the audio system is not important;
the kid in the back seat screaming bloody murder is not important.
I didn’t see this one, and it’s pretty obvious regarding driving..
EVERYONE in the car is fully and correctly buckled or it doesn’t move. Impress upon the new driver the physics of driving a 3,000+ lb vehicle and what happens when it comes to a sudden stop yet the occupants keep moving at speed.
Doing a quick stop when the road is clear on someone who isn’t wearing their seatbelt is the best learning method. In high school when we weren’t worried about death we used to do this trick first by announcing take a bow, then hitting the brake. Soon we were all wearing a seatbelt
Get your motorcycle license. Nothing teaches you the basics of driving defensively like an MSF riding course. It definitely made me a better driver and only cost a couple hundred dollars.
How do you encourage your kid not to get a motorcycle after getting that license? (Florida here)
When I took the course, at least a couple people decided they didn’t want to ride after realizing how dangerous it can be. Of course they were older, not indestructible teens. At least in Colorado, where I took the course, you still had to go to the DMV and get the endorsement on your license, you just didn’t have to take the test if you passed the class. I would assume that in FL the parent would still have to approve it for a minor. Though I do understand saying no can sometimes be very difficult and the moment they turn 18, it’s no longer your call. If they do decide they want to get a motorcycle, they’ll be a better, safer, rider for having taken the course.
Agreed! Taking the MSF course and then riding for a number of years, taught me to be a better car driver. Also where I learned this particular
mnemonic:
SIPDE
Scan
Identify
Predict
Decide
Execute
The shortest useful advice for new drivers I can think of is:
“PAY ATTENTION!”
That’s a pretty terrible mnemonic 😛
Agreed! It’s pretty much what I do (scan, etc.), but not because I remember the mnemonic, but because I figure it’s good practice.
But yeah, pay attention and think ahead.
That is what I did. Took the course and realized it was not me me. Of course I took the course when my kid was 2 years old, so my frame of mine was different and tolerance for risk low.
As a teenage boy, I was my pretty much indestructible (or at least I though so)
Others have covered the really good ones nicely, so I’ll add a slightly more philosophical one – try to perceive the road/traffic as a system and act accordingly.
This isn’t some virtue-signaling thing (e.g. you’re not being a good Samaritan letting people in on a green…let them in on red), but rather an acknowledgement that our actions have consequences for others, and at the very least, we should try to drive with intent and thought.
Get a dashcam, ideally with both front and rear cameras! Great for proving the light was actually green when you entered an intersection. Also useful in near-miss situations where you might want to go back and review what actually happened.